All Eight Avery County Townships Have Seats Open
By Tim Gardner
Filing begins on Friday, July 7 at 12:00 noon for 2023 partisan and nonpartisan municipal (city, town and village) elections across the State of North Carolina.
This filing period will end on Friday, July 21, at 12:00 noon and any person filing for a municipal government position must do so in person at the Board of Election Office in the county in which he or she resides.
Filing for any municipal office costs $5.00.
The 2023 General Election in which all municipal elections will be decided will be on Tuesday, November 7.
All eight Avery County townships–Newland, Banner Elk, Crossnore, Elk Park, Village of Sugar Mountain, Village of Grandfather, Beech Mountain and Seven Devils–will have either seats open for town council or mayor, or both posts. All will be non-partisan elections and there will be no second or runoff races in any Avery municipal election. Any opposed candidate who wins by just one vote will be elected.
Newland will have three town council seats open. Banner Elk will have three town council seats and the mayor’s seat open. Crossnore will have the mayor and three town council seats available. Elk Park will have the most governmental seats available as all five town council seats are open, as well as the mayor’s seat. The Village of Sugar Mountain will have two town council seats and the mayor’s seat available. The Village of Grandfather will have two council member seats and the mayor’s seat open. Beech Mountain will have four town council seats available–three for regular terms and one to fill an unexpired term. Three town council seats will be open in Seven Devils.
Some sections of Beech Mountain and Seven Devils are in Avery County and other parts are in Watauga County. Voters in those elections must cast their ballots in the county in which they reside.
One stop, early voting begins Thursday, October 19 and ends Saturday, November 4. On stop, early voting in Avery County may be done at the Avery County Board of Elections office, located in the Avery County Court House at 200 Montezuma Street, Suite #307, in Newland.
Specific early voting dates and times for the 2023 municipal elections include:
Thursday, October 19 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Friday, October 20 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Monday, October 23 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 24 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, October 25 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 26 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Friday, October 27 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Monday, October 30 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, October 31 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, November 1 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Thursday, November 2 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Friday, November 3 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.
Saturday November 4 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
On Friday, October 6, County Boards of Elections will begin mailing absentee ballots for November municipal elections to eligible voters who submitted an absentee ballot request. Registered voters in North Carolina must request an absentee ballot with an official North Carolina Absentee Ballot Request Form. Absentee ballots can be accessed online through the North Carolina State Board of Elections web site at: ncsbe.gov/voting/vote-mail
After completing, submit the form to the county board of elections or in person or by mail via the U.S. Postal Service, Global Logistics and International Shipping (DHL), Federal Express (FedEx), or United Parcel Service (UPS).
The status of a requested absentee ballot can be tracked from printed to accepted by signing up online for status notifications through BallotTrax. BallotTrax will be available 30 days prior to each election in 2023.
Tuesday, October 31 at 5:00 p.m. is the Civilian Absentee Ballot request deadline for November municipal elections. And Tuesday, November 7 at 5:00 p.m. is the Civilian Absentee Ballot return deadline. A Civilian Absentee Ballot is for anyone who is not military or overseas using an absentee ballot.
Voting on General Election Day may be done from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at each township’s voting site.
Beginning with this year’s municipal elections, North Carolina voters will be asked to show photo Identification (ID) when they vote. To be eligible to vote in a municipal election, a voter must live in that municipality for at least thirty (30) days before Election Day. The voter registration deadline is twenty-five (25) days before Election Day.
Other eligibility guidelines to vote in North Carolina’s municipal elections, include that a voter must:
*Be a citizen of the United States
*Be a resident of North Carolina and their voting township for at least 30 days prior to an election
*Be at least 18 years of age by the next General Election
*Not be registered to vote in another township
*If convicted of a felony, have had his or her citizenship rights restored
Voter registration in Avery County may be done at the Avery County Board of Elections office.
Further information about the Avery County municipal elections may can be obtained in person at the Elections Office or by calling (828) 733-8282.
Additional details about 2023 State of North Carolina Municipal Elections can be accessed by logging online to: ncsbe.gov/voting/upcoming election.
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